I always believed that the exhortation in James 5:16 to confess our faults one to another, referred directly to sin. Now, I am beginning to believe that it includes other things as well, especially after recently hearing Brother Mike share a personal embarrassing experience. Even though I saw it personally when it happened originally, I thought the story was just as funny when he gave his version from the pulpit. I believe that is the best thing to do with such an experience. You have probably heard the expression, "Confession is good for the soul." Well, I believe it, and just maybe, this was something James also had in mind when he wrote his epistle. Let's take a closer look at the verse: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. I also believe it because I needed and received healing in the case of my life's most embarrassing experience. For many years after it, I could not even talk about it. In fact, just passing by the place where it happened would make me sick in the stomach. Now, many years after, I can talk about it and I laugh just as much now as those who hear it in detail. In fact, I'm going to share it now with all our readers. If you want to hear it in it's entire form later, I'll be happy to comply.

After you stop laughing, perhaps you may finally be freed from your most embarrassing moment, as well. Here's the story: It happened many years ago, just before I gave my life to Jesus. In retrospect, this experience probably played a big part in my conversion because it just added more grief to an already wounded heart in need of healing. It was an ordinary Saturday evening. My wife and I were still young. Thankfully, our kids were too young then to notice what happened, which spared them from being embarrassed for life by their daddy. There was a ring on the phone. It was one of my brothers. He told me of a basketball tournament they were playing in. Some of his players did not show up, so they needed one more guy. Back then; men couldn't play in shorts unless they were wearing an athletic supporter. At the spur of the moment we could not even locate one. Pressed for time, I opted to play in some old bermuda shorts. Men's briefs were rare back then, so I just slipped the bermudas over my boxer shorts. When we got to the gym, there were many more people than I had expected. At that moment, it wasn't much of a concern. The game started and I slipped out of my slacks to play in my old bermuda shorts. On the court, I was all business. Once the game started, my focus was on nothing else. We ran up and down the court for almost an entire quarter without stopping. Finally, a foul was called and a player from the other team stepped up to the foul line. I took my position under the basket. I noticed the player had an unusually red face, and he looked like he was trying to suppress an attack of the giggles. Then I noticed that all his teammates were also red-faced, and could not keep a straight face. Then it hit me! I realized they were all laughing at me. I nonchalantly turned away from the crowd and moved my hand downward. I almost died! To make a long story short, the zipper on both my outer and undershorts had failed me. I didn't appreciate it when one of my teammate suggested I should have been voted the tournament's outstanding player. I can laugh now, but it wasn't very funny back then.

If the Lord healed me, He will do the same for you. Confession is good!